


Colour Me Blue

by starsngalaxys



Series: here Captain! dear father! [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amusement Parks, Angst, Brother Feels, Brothers, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kraglin is secretly a bookworm, One-Shots, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Parent Stakar Ogord, Parent Yondu Udonta, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Slavery, Suicidal Thoughts, The OC is in one chapter that’s easy to skip, Uncle Martinex, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Whump, Yondu’s B+ parenting, hes doing his best, it’s just backstory, no beta we die like men, non-linear chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22539979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsngalaxys/pseuds/starsngalaxys
Summary: I was tired with the lack of content of these two, so who better to fix that than me?Chapter 9 up!!!
Relationships: Kraglin Obfonteri & Krugarr (Marvel), Kraglin Obfonteri & Martinex T'Naga, Kraglin Obfonteri & Peter Quill, Kraglin Obfonteri & Yondu Udonta, Martinex T'Naga & Yondu Udonta, Peter Quill & Yondu Udonta, Stakar Ogord & Martinex T'Naga, Stakar Ogord & Yondu Udonta, Yondu Udonta & Original Female Character(s), Yondu Udonta/Original Female Character(s)
Series: here Captain! dear father! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051085
Comments: 42
Kudos: 74





	1. For better, for worse (He's my boy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from My Boy - Josie Walker

“Hey, Krags!”

The fourteen-year-old swung around from the sleeping Terran he was standing watch over. He had grown a lot since Yondu had first picked him up, but he still had limbs too long for his body, and just about the biggest set of crystal blue eyes the Centurian had ever seen. Those eyes that always looked at him like he had hung the stars in the cosmos; like he could do no wrong. 

_If only he knew._

“Need ta ask ya somethin’ kid. But I can’t round the crew, come on.”

Kraglin turned to look back at the Terran boy who he’d gotten attached to so quickly. 

“But Pete…”

“Will be fine for five minutes.”

Kraglin gave him an anxious smile. 

“Ok.”

* * *

“THEY CAN’T JUST KICK US OUT!”

“Boy, I never said they was kickin you out, I said they were exilin me. Stakar told me to give ya a choice. So, you can stay here with the family, join Stakar’s crew n’ have a damn good life! Or... you can come into exile wit’ me.” Yondu said with a sigh.

The boy’s eyes were as wide as saucers, his mouth gaping like a fish. The Ravagers had been his entire life, since he was six years old. It was all he knew. Yondu had never planned on making the kid pick sides, but what choice did he have? 

“Look, ya have some time to think ‘bout this. Ya don’t hav’ta pick now, but-“

“I WANNA STAY WITH YOU!”

The shock Yondu felt was mirrored on the silence that filled the room. Why the h e l l would Kraglin want to stay with him? He broke the code! If the boy followed him, there’d be no going back. 

“Boy, ya gotta think this through! If you come, you can’t go back.”

Kraglin nodded. 

“ I know Cap’n.”

_How could he be so casual about this?_

“Krags, listen ta me. This is your life! And ya wanna throw it away? You’ll be happy here, have a good life! Ya won’t have that much other me!”

Yondu didn’t expect that to change his mind, the kid was bloody stubborn. But maybe, just maybe it would make him think a bit more. But the teen just looked…

Upset.

“With all due respect Cap’n, I think I’d be happier with you.” He said softly.

If Yondu wasn’t a Ravager, he would have cried. But he was, so the kid’s words **totally** did not affect him. Not at **all**. 

But despite that, he still gathered the boy up into his arms. He felt Kraglin’s fingers latch onto his jacket. 

“I’m not gonna ditch ya’ Cap’n.”

“Tha’s m’boy.”


	2. As Long As I’m Here (No One Can Hurt You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My take on a first meeting. Also, this has references to a fic that I’ll never write but whatever.
> 
> Chapter title from Everything I Wanted - Billie Eilish

_Stakar won’t be happy wit’ me_. 

Yondu thought as the 6-year old Xandarian boy clung to his neck for dear life. He felt scraggly fingernails dig his skin. He heard the soft, muffled sobs coming from the child. Whatever part of his heart that was still alive and beating cracked at the sound. _How do you comfort a crying child?_

“Hush boy. Its alright.”

Yondu hadn’t planned on busting up a Kree slave ship, but hey, a chance is a chance! Another thing he didn’t plan on was taking a kid home. 

He figured that he should get the boy checked out before anything else. He knew damn well that Kree didn’t treat their slaves well. 

“A’ight boy, you gotta name?”

He didn’t get an answer right away. Eventually, the sobs quieted down, changing to just sniffles. He heard a gulp and then-

“M-my na-name… My nam-“

“Take your time, boy.”

The kid took a deep breath and started again.

“My name is Kraglin Obfonteri.”

_Obfonteri. The universe really hates me huh._

“Well we done got ourselves a lil’ prince, huh?” 

“That’s what mamma said before they-“

_Aaaand there goes the sobbing again. I’m awful at this._

“Ok, Kraglin, I’m gonna take you to the ship doc real quick ok? He’ll check ya for cuts n bruises.”

The boy nodded. Yondu stood slowly, lifting the kid with him. After adjusting the child in his arms, he headed down the medbay. 

“Besides the expected cuts and bruises, the kid got himself a broken nose, a concussion, and a couple’ infected wounds. I’ll keep ‘em under observation for a lil while, but then he’ll be alright.”

_“_ Good _.”_

He thanked the doctor, waving him out of the room. He sat on the sleeping boy’s bedside, watching him with a scrutinizing eye. He was a scrawny kid, but Yondu couldn’t tell whether that was due to malnutrition or genetics. When open, his eyes were a luminous blue underlined by dark bags too deep for a boy his age. His bandages already were soaked through with his blue blood. 

_Well, that’s not concernin’ at all._

Yondu sighed, then turned on his comm. 

“Stakar.”

“ _I don’t know what you did, but I refuse to bail you out again._

”Whaddya mean bail me out? So lil’ faith. Nah, but I do need your help with somethin’.”

“ _With what?”  
_

“I may have raided a Kree slave ship-“

“ _Yondu…”_

_“_ Don’t. I found somethin’. Do ya remember that girl we picked up for her sister a couple years ago? The royal?” 

“ _The one you were sweet on? Ya’ how could I forget?”_

_”_ I was not!” _  
_

Stakar made a disbelieving noise.

Yondu sighed, “I think I might’ve found her boy.”

“ _Oh.”_

* * *

Kraglin’s eyes fluttered open, leaving him staring at the unfamiliar roof above him. He tried to remember how he got… wherever he was. There was a glowy thing and a blue man…

It must have been a weird dream. 

He started moving his head to observe his surroundings and wondered where his owners had taken him now. He didn’t recognize the room, it looked like some kind of hospital. It was too clean to be a Kree hospital. 

“Hey, kid.”

His head swung towards the door. It was the blue man from his dream! He was wearing a red leather duster and had a weird red strip of metal on the top of his head. 

The blue man sat on his bedside, his red eyes soft with concern. 

“Ya told me that your name was Kraglin, is that right?”

Kraglin nodded. 

“Aight Kraglin. My name is Yondu Udonta, and I’m the captain of the 99th Ravager faction. To answer your questions, you’re on my ship, yes it safe here, and no, you’re not dreamin’. Now, the Doc said you was fine, but how’re you feeling?”

Kraglin didn’t say anything for a while. He knew that the blu- Yondu was waiting for him to say something. The six-year-old wasn’t sure what he expected, but it wasn’t this. 

“You’re not gonna sell me again...are you?”

The Centurian drew back in horror. 

“Of course not, boy! You’re not gettin’ sold to anyone ever again if I got any say in it. Your not a slave anymore.”

The boy smiled a real smile for the first time in forever. 

“I’m not?”

“Naw kid. Now ya didn’t answer my question, how’re you feelin’?”

“My head hurts a lil bit.” He admitted abashedly. 

The ravager captain let out a guffaw and ruffled his hair. 

“Get some rest kiddo.”


	3. We’re Happy In My Blue Little Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Blue Little Heaven - Frank Sinatra

“Hey, kid!”

Kraglin looked up from the datapad that the nice magic captain had given him. It was about a Terran man who went on adventures with a robot after his planet was destroyed. The magic guy, (Krugarr??) was surprised that he could read, and Kraglin had proudly declared that his mother had taught him, purposefully leaving out the part that he still didn’t understand some words.

When he looked up, he saw Yondu and the tall crystal man, (Marty, he had heard people call him) standing above him. “Marty” crouched down and said,

“Hey, Yondu and I are gonna head down onto the next planet we dock at. Ya wanna come?”

“YES PLEASE!” Kraglin said eagerly, before adding quietly, “If you don’t mind sir…”

“I don’t mind at all! And no need to call me sir, kid. My name's Martinex.”

“Whatever you say, sir!” He replied cheerfully.

* * *

“Aight Krags, let's go over the rules. Ya stick with me or Marty at all times, no wanderin off. No beggin for trinkets or nothin, okay?”

Kraglin nodded. “I promise.”

Yondu ruffles his hair. “Good boy, now let’s go.” 

The ship ride down to the planet was boring. The planet wasn’t very pretty looking, and the space around it was somehow starless and void. But Martinex has said that there was something called a fair down there, where kids could play games and get toys! Yondu had let him play with a few of his trinkets, but he had never had a toy of his own. 

“Hey, Krags! We’re here!”

* * *

“Okay kid, Yondu is gonna go do a job real quick and meet up with us later, so you and I are gonna have some uncle-nephew bonding time, how does that sound?”

Yondu sighed, though Kraglin was unsure why. He was also confused about what and uncle-nephew was, but it sounded nice, so he agreed.

They spent the next couple hours wandering through the shops and booths, shooting cans and earning prizes. 

“Hey, Mr. Martinex?”

“Yeah, kid?”

“When is Yondu gonna get here?”

The crystal man looked concerned for a second. Then he looked like an idea struck him, and crouched down, (Which wasn’t very effective, simply because of how tall he was.)

“I don’t know kid, but hey! Whaddya say we get Yondu a new trinket to put on his dash!”

The boy's eyes lit up. He grabbed the man’s hand and started pulling him towards a booth.

“I saw a lil lizard thingie that reminded me of him!” 

* * *

Yondu moves dejectedly towards the fair. He had wanted to put on a happy front for the kid, but he wasn’t up to it. He moved slowly through the crowds, silently searching for Martinex and Kraglin.

_Seriously? How hard is it to lose a 7” ft Pluvian?_

“YONDU! GUESS WHAT!”

He saw the six-year-old running towards him, with Martinex in tow. Five seconds later, he ended up with an armful of Xandarian. He lifted the kid up, resting him on his hip. Martinex caught up quickly, breathless.

“Man, that kid can run! Ok, Krags, why don’tcha show him what we got!”

“Did ya corrupt the kid, Marty?”

“Of course not!” He replied, dramatically affronted.

Kraglin tugged on his jacket. “Mr. Martinex helped me get you something! Look!”

He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a little reptilian creature made of crystal and twisted metal. He pressed it into the man’s hand, his face flushed blue.

Yondu turned it over in his hand, a rare smile gracing his face.

“Do ya like it?” The child asked, eyes dropping to look at the ground.

“Course I do kid! Thank ya’”

Kraglin beamed, then a look of excitement covered his face.

“Me. Martinex said that once you got back, I could go on the Fer- fer-“

“Ferris Wheel?”

He nodded.

“Well if he said that ya could, then ya can. Let's go!”

* * *

By the time they got off the Ferris wheel and back to the ship, Kraglin was fast asleep. Yondu layer him down onto the bench in the back of the ship, then settled in the pilot’s seat. 

Martinex kicked his feet up onto the dash and smirked at him.

“What?”

“Your gettin’ soft for this kid!”

“I am not!”

“You are! I saw your face when he got you that trinket! That kid has wormed his way into your heart!”

“Don’t ya go get pretentious on me, I’m not soft!”

“Whatever you say.” Martinex said, his expression switching to serious,” But seriously, you're doin’ good! It takes a lot to take on a kid, I mean you hear how much Stakar complains about us!”

“Thanks Marty.”


	4. Waiting on my father to say (I love you son)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from Connor - SYML

Kraglin had expected to be dead as soon as he let the Captain out of the cell. Why wouldn’t he be? He was the one who caused the mutiny in the first place, speaking out in front of the crew, riling them up. But he was still alive.

He was alive when Yondu gave him the Zune to give to Peter, he was alive when he warned them about The Sovereign. He wasn’t so sure before they dragged Peter and Yondu out of cold, unforgiving space.

But Yondu was still alive, and he did the best he could to keep it that way.

——————-

“He’s asking for you.”

“I know Pete.”

“You should go.”

“I know.”

Peter sighed, sitting down next to him on the bed. 

“Come on, man! I don’t know exactly what happened, but there’s no way he blames you.”

“I lettim down Pete. I was jealous n’ stupid.”

Peter raised an eyebrow.

“Krags, there’s nothing he wouldn’t forgive you for.”

————————-

He knew he should go in, but he still found himself lingering in the doorway, unable to move. 

“ I know yur there. Come on in, son.”

He took a few steps inside the med bay, still shifting uncomfortably. Yondu was a few shades of blue too light and looked absolutely exhausted, but other than that, he seemed to be healing up fine.

“Well boy, dontcha got somethin’ to say?”

The anxiety swelled up in Kraglin’s chest, making his vision blur and stomach feel sick. 

“I-“

“Sit down boy.”

He felt himself drop down onto the bedside, head spinning. He couldn’t force himself to look his Captain in the eye.

“Now I don’t wanna hear any self-blamin’ guilty crap from ya, you hear?”

His head swivelled up.

“What?”

“Ya heard me. I’m notta fool boy, I’ve known ya your whole life. Ya gotta habit of blamin’ everything that goes wrong onta yourself.”

“At least I got somethin’ from ya Cap’n.” He said with a nervous smile. The anxiety quelled, and his vision started the clear.

“Har har.” Yondu replied, with an amused lilt in his voice. He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, leaving Kraglin scrambling.  
  


“I’s alright boy, I ain’t an invalid.”

“I know Cap’n it's just-“

Yondu lifted up his hand, signalling him to stop. He let out a deep sigh.

“Where’d I go wrong wit’ you boy?”

“Pardon?”

“When did I start neglecting’ ya, boy? I raised ya up from a lil boy, but I can’t even remember the last time ya referred to me without callin me by my damn title!”

“Sorry-“

“I’S NOT YOUR FAULT DAMMIT! You was right ‘bout me favorin’ Quill, n it wasn’t right.”

Kraglin rubbed furiously at his eyes to keep tears at bay. 

“But I still caused a mutiny. I shoulda confided to ya in private, not run my damn mouth in front of the crew!”

“Well I ain’t gonna say that you’re wrong, cuz that’d be untruthful, n imma try a lot harder ta be moral this time round.”

The younger man snorted.

“Yeah, yeah. But in all seriousness, The other captain’s are comin’ soon n’ imma need both my boys by my side when I face em.” Yondu said with a lopsided grin that Kraglin couldn’t help but return.


	5. The most indomitable spirit.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a line from Treasure Island

_Where is that boy?_

Yondu has been looking for Kraglin for a half hour. Usually, as soon as he called, the boy was there, but not this time. The Eclector was huge, and there were tons of small spaces where a child could hide. 

“Dang it boy, where are ya?”

He froze in the middle of a hallway. He could hear the sound of laboured, phlegmy breathing from the air vents. 

He let out a short whistle, sending his Yaka arrow into the vents. He felt a twinge of relief when he heard a familiar voice yelp. 

It took a good five minutes to get his body through the grate, and nevertheless, what he found was concerning.

Kraglin has curled himself into a blanket on the floor of the vent. In the low glow of the Yaka arrow, he could see that he was a few shades too pale. His eyelids drooped and he was shivering.

He looked very sad.

“You alright, boy?”

Kraglin nodded, before letting out a sneeze. Yondu sighed.

“C’mere.” He said, beckoning with his arms. Kraglin scooted down the vent and let him pick him up and bring him down and out.

“Wa’s wrong boy?”

He got no answer, just arms wrapped around his neck and a cold nose buried in his shoulder.

“Ya went n got yourself sick, didn’t ya?”

A nod.

“N why were ya hiding?”

“I didn’t wanna be any trouble.”

“It ain’t no trouble Krags, if ur sick ur sick. Now, do ya wanna go to the doc or your cabin.”

“Cabin.”

“Aight.”

———————————

So far, all that Yondu could tell was that the kid had some kind of chest cold on steroids. He had settled him onto his bed, then called Horuz to bring as many blankets as he could to the room. 

He had then called Stakar and Aleta, who had laughed, but then told him how to deal with a sick child.

“Make sure he gets fluids and plenny a rest. Also, I’m sure you’ve found that kids get bored pretty quickly, so get him a book or a drawing pad.”

So that’s what he did. They didn’t have many child-friendly books on the Eclector, but he came across Kraglin’s stash of books that Krugarr gave him. He got water from the kitchen and dumped a vitamin packet into it for safe measure.

He set the cup onto the stool by the bed, then sat down.

“How’re ya feelin’?”

Kraglin looked up from his book and shrugged. 

“How am I supposed ta help ya if ya don’t tell me nothin’?”

He shrugged again. Yondu sighed. How on earth could anyone be so stubborn? 

_Hypocrite,_ said a voice in his head (That sounded suspiciously similar to Stakar.)

“Fine. What ya readin’?”

Kraglin shut his book partially, leaving a finger in between the pages he was on, and showed him the cover. _Treasure Island_

“Wassit about?”

The boy’s face lit up but quickly turned dejected. A realization dawned on Yondu.

“It hurts ta speak, don’t it boy?”

A nod. 

“Well, how ‘bout I go get the cook to make ya some soup?”

He got a quizzical eyebrow raise.

“Don’t worry, you’ll like it. It’ll make your throat feel better, now don’t that sound good!”

Rapid nodding.

“‘Aight. Now, I’m gonna go do that, n you can get some sleep. And as soon as you can talk again, I wanna hear all ‘bout that book, ya hear?”


	6. If only you knew (you are royalty)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As requested by Paige+++stratton, here is a bit of an explanation on the whole prince thing.
> 
> Chapter title is paraphrased from Daughter - Sleeping At Last

“GET OFF OF ME!”

“I’M TRYIN TA HELP YOU!”

“I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!”

Yondu didn’t know why he didn’t just kill her now and tell Stakar that the Kree did it in a shootout. If the Princess didn’t want to be saved, that was her problem. He pulled her out of the blast zone and shoved her into an empty hallway. 

“Look lady, I don’t care if ya want my help or not, but I’m gettin paid to save ya, so suck it up!”

The woman’s brown hair was a mess and her dress was ripped. He had expected her to yell at him, or even slap him! What he hadn’t expected was her to stare him down. He didn’t really mind, her eyes were pretty-

_ Stop, dammit! _

His thoughts were interrupted by a door blowing up, a small battalion of Kree soldiers. Her hair slapped him in the face as she turned to face him again.

“Do you have an extra weapon!”

“What?”

“Do. you. have. another. weapon?”

He silently handed her a blaster, then watched as she mowed down the battalion. He was pulled out of his enrapturement when she shouted,

“ARE YOU GONNA HELP ME OR NOT?”

And that is how Yondu Udonta met Vrinda Obfonteri.

———————————————

“So, who payed you to rescue me?”

“Irani Rael…”

“Aww, she does care! I’m assuming it was an under-the-table deal, what with her being in the Nova Core.Then again, my sister has never been one for being covert.”

Now that was shocking.

“But ya don’t have the same last name…”

“Yeah, she renounced the whole royalty thing a while ago. Surprising...mum and dad always loved her best.”

She looked a little surprised with herself, then stared at him like she was expecting him to say something judgy. He didn’t judge. He spent the first 20 years of his life enslaved, and now made his living being a glorified mercenary.

Not getting the response she expected, she flipped her hair and stood up. 

“You got any clean clothes in this dump?”

“This is my ship!” He said, a little affronted.

“I know what I said.”

When he called Martinex to vent, he didn’t expect to get teased.

“HAH! I knew you weren’t heartless, you gotta crush!”

“What?”

“YO ‘LETA, YONDU IS SWEET ON SOMEONE!”

“I AM NOT!”

——————————————

They had dropped her off at her sisters, got paid, then left. After a few run ins, He didn’t expect to ever meet her again, but life had a way of screwing him over.

“Funny seeing you here, Udonta.”

Yondu groaned and opened his eyes, coming face to face with-  _ aww hel  _

“Obfonteri?”

“Yeah, it’s me. How’d you get yourself thrown in here?”

“That depends, where are we?”

Yondu sat up and took in his surroundings. Dammit. Of all the places to be.

“How’d ya get yourself tossed into Kree prison, Princess?”

Vrinda rolled her eyes. 

“How do you think? Kree find a defenseless, pretty princess, Kree kidnap her, Kree imprison her and her child.”

“Wait you have a kid?”

“Yeah, you gotta problem?”

“No, no problem. Just didn’t peg ya for the motherly type.”

“Yeah well, life happens.”

——————————————

Vrinda was dragged out of the cell soon after, disappearing for about two days, before getting tossed back in. She was soaked in blue blood and we leg was at a weird angle.

He crawled over to her, pulling her onto his lap. 

“You better not die on me, Obfonteri!”

“Or what? You'll kill me?”

“Very funny.”

He did his best to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough.

“C’mon, ya gotta kid to live for…”

Her face darkened at that.

“Yeah, if I can figure out where he is.”

Yondu had nothing to say to that. He had suspected that they separated the two of them.

“Why dontcha tell me ‘bout him?”

—————————————————

“Boy, what do ya think your Mama would say if she saw you now?”

It was a low blow, he knows, but it got the Kraglin’s attention. He plopped down onto his bed.

“How do ya know what my Mama would say?”

“I knew her.”

“Could you tell me about her?”

“I dunno…”

“Please!” Kraglin said, pulling out an expression that could get him anything he could ever want.

“Alright boy, lemme tell ya a story.”


	7. Whiskey And Sam Cooke Songs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter/filler chapter. This takes place right before chapter four.  
> Chapter title is from Catfish - Waxahatchee  
> The song at the end is Running Back To You - Sam Cooke  
> WARNINGS!!!!!!!: suicidal thoughts

Kraglin wasn’t sure what to do with himself. They had saved Yondu, though he hasn’t woken up yet, and the Guardians had destroyed Ego. And yet…

He had given the Zune to Peter, just like Yondu had asked, so his purpose was fulfilled! His captain wouldn’t need him anymore, and Pete had his new friends, so where did he fit? He could ask to go with Nebula, but he could imagine how that would go. 

And then he found himself staring out the airlock.

It would be easy.

“Krags? What are you doin’ up?”

He turned to see Peter, who clearly had just woken up. 

“Could ask ya the same thing.”

“Yeah well, I’ve had a long two days.”

Peter moved closer, standing right beside him. Kraglin could feel him scanning his face.

“You feeling okay, dude?”

“M’ fine.”

“Uh-huh.”

They stood like that for a while, staring out into the void of space. When you primarily live in space, it’s easy to take for granted how beautiful it is. 

“I was jealous of you, ya know.”

“What?” Kraglin said, his voice sounding very small.

“Ever since you guys picked me up, I was jealous of you. Yondu always treated you like an adult, he respected you. I was a punk who never listened to the rules, so I guess I brought it on myself but…” he trailed off.

Well. How the tables turn. 

“Ya shouldn’t have been jealous of me.”

“Yeah well, there are plenty of things I shouldn’t have done back then.”

“I guess I weren’t much better.”

Peter let out a small chuckle. Another comfortable silence fell over the room. They had spent most of their childhood in this silence. After the fighting and the constant noise that filled their days, their nights were filled with insomnia and music listened to through shared headphones. 

Kraglin heard fabric shuffle, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter holding out an earbud to him. He took it, and soon a slow melody started playing.

_Folks said that you found someone new_

_To do the thing I used to do for you_

_Just call my name, I'm not ashamed_

_I'll come running back to you..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name for this chapter on google docs was “ Two brothers listenin to a Zune, five feet apart because they’re emotionally stunted”


	8. Love, I know you'll be alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: graphic (badly written) panic attacks  
> Chapter title from Judging Books By Their Covers - Keaton Henson

Kraglin couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe and he was shaking and- 

He ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it. He could vaguely sense tears running down his face. 

Someone knocked on the door.

“BOY, YA GOT SOME EXPLAININ’ TA DO!”

It felt like the roof had collapsed on his chest. The door started shaking. His chest wracked with sobs. He fell to the floor and curled into a fetal position. 

Some part of him recognized the door bursting open. He felt a hesitant hand run up and down his back. 

_ I think I’m dying _

“You’re not dyin’ boy,” Yondu said, “Ya gotta breathe.”

_ I can’t _

“Ya can. In n’ out, there ya go.”

Kraglin started breathing in short gasps. His fingernails dug into his upper arms, his vision evened out. 

Yondu, seeing that he was calming down, pulled the boy onto his lap and leaned his head onto his shoulder. 

“What happened, Krags?”

“I— I don’t know… someone said something stupid and I just…”

Yondu knew that later he would have to ask the others what was actually said. It probably reminded Kraglin of his time with the Kree. He lifted the ten year old to his feet, holding him steady. The boy looked up at him with tear-filled, glassy eyes, and the blue man felt his heart crack.

_ Dammit, I’m getting soft. _

“Ya know what Stakar did when I had an episode?”

Kraglin shook his head.

“He got me to throw something really hard at a wall. Does that sound fun?”

The boy nodded. He grabbed onto his coat sleeve and they walked down the hallway.

“Can we get soup after?”


	9. we love you, Mister Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 10 year-old clambered back up and flopped on top of him. 
> 
> “C’mooooon! Everyone’s asleep so we can go have fun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I’m back! I’ve seen all of your lovely comments and I’ve been trying so hard to get inspiration for this story. I rewatched the movies and I finally was able to write a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy :)
> 
> Chapter title is from Mr. Moonlight by the The Beatles, and the book excerpts are from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

“Krags… Krags wake up.” 

Kraglin groaned and rolled over. Peter hopped up onto his cot and started shaking him.

“Krags!”

The teen punched up blindly and ended up catching Peter’s shoulder. The boy fell back with an  _ oof. _ “That wasn’t nice.”

“Well I ain’t nice.” He replied. He tried to sound mean, but that was a difficult task when your face is buried in a pillow. The 10 year-old clambered back up and flopped on top of him. 

“C’mooooon! Everyone’s asleep so we can go have fun!” 

“Fine, but only’f ya shut up.” 

The boy mimed zipping his lips and climbed off of the cot so Kraglin could get up. 

The younger boy grabbed his hand and pulled him into the recreation room. They had to tiptoe past the big room where the crew slept after a night of drinking. They were young, and Yondu wasn’t above nepotism, so they got seperate quarters, far away from it all. It may have been a converted oversized closet, but at least it didn’t smell like B.O. and booze. 

The rec room wasn’t huge. There was a chest in the corner that had a lock on it that the crew couldn’t open. Yondu, Kraglin, and Peter were the only ones with keys. Inside were Kraglin’s books and Terran items that Peter had found when they had a rare day at the market.

There were beat up wooden chairs and a worn couch with rips and tears in it. In the corner there was a pile of extra blankets that generally went unnoticed. But not tonight. 

Peter grabbed them and heaved them over to the chair structure that Kraglin was making. They clambered into the finished Blanket Fort in a mess of limbs.

“Read me the story about the pirate boys and the island.” Peter asked.

“I’ve read you that five times Pete.”

But as the crew had learned, Terran children had a way to make you do whatever you want with their eyes. So, as always, Kraglin relented.

Peter settled in Kraglin’s lap and settled his head onto his shoulder. Something warm bloomed in the older boy’s chest. He turned on their light, opened the book, and began to read.

_ “TOM!” _

_ No answer. _

“Do the voices?”

_ “TOM!” _

_ No answer. _

_ “TOM!” _

_ No answer. _

_ “What’s gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!” _

_ No answer- _

“What’re you boys doin?”

They both jumped. Yondu’s face was peering through their fabric door. 

“We’re reading… Cap’n.”

“It’s the middle o’ the night.”

“So?” Peter whined, “We never get to just hang out during the day. Might as well do it now.”

“You need sleep boy.”

“Please Cap’n? Just lemme finish this chapter.”

~~ Kraglin didn’t know he had the secret begging power too. ~~

“Fine. Scoot over.”

He pushed his way into the Fort, nearly knocking the boys over. There was a scuffle for space for a moment, but eventually Peter settled back against Kraglin’s shoulder, who in turn hesitantly leaned against the Captain’s. He kept reading.

_ The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy- _

Kraglin read chapter one. Then chapter two. He kept reading uninterrupted until sure Peter had fallen asleep. His eyes had grown heavy as well, but he was determined to get back to bed on his own. 

“Alright boy, back to bed.” Yondu started pulling the Fort apart and Kraglin stood up, picking up a blanket-wrapped Peter as well. Yondu moved to grab him.

“I got him, Cap.” He instinctively held the boy closer. 

“If you say so.” 

Kraglin wasn’t sure why, but Yondu followed them to their quarters. He put the Peter back down on his bed, careful to make sure the covers were pulled up to his chin. 

“You’re good with him.”

Kraglin’s face flushed blue. “I guess. He likes me more than t’ rest o’ the crew.”

“Tha’s understandable. You’re closer in age, n the rest of the crew would be pretty scary to a lil’ boy I reckon.” 

The teen’s eyes were determined to shut, but he managed to hum a response. He felt warmth surround him and herd him towards his bed. He felt blankets cover him and an affectionate hand push back his hair and rest on his head, before the galaxy was lost to his mind.

“G’night son.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts welcome!!!


End file.
